Learn to Love: Brussels Sprouts

I didn't grow up eating brussels sprouts. My mother was forced to eat overcooked and mushy brussels sprouts as I child so she avoided them, and I did too.

I have since learned to love this veggie that looks like a mini cabbage. I tried to convince my girls last night at dinner that they, too, should love this veggie, but since I was unsuccessful on that front, I am going to try and convince you.

Let me start by saying this is one low-calorie food. A half cup cooked by boiling, which I do not recommend for flavor or texture, only contains 28 calories. The same serving of brussels sprouts will provide your recommended daily intake for vitamin K and almost satisfy the daily requirement for vitamin C. Related to cabbage and broccoli, this veggie is also high in folate and vitamin A, and even contains some omega-3 fatty acids. In studies, eating brussels sprouts daily was shown to optimize cell detoxification, which might help prevent cancer. Plus they are a Winter veggie and are at their peak for tastiness from late Fall until early Spring.

For tips on cooking brussels sprouts, read more.

Start your relationship with these sprouts on the right foot: don't overcook them. My favorite way to prepare them is to roast them. I half each sprout, sprinkle the lot of them with olive oil, and cook them at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Then I sprinkle them with salt and lemon juice. Once roasted, they pair nicely with walnuts and goat cheese for an unconventional salad. If you buy them still on the stalk, they taste even better.

How do you feel about brussels sprouts? Love them or hate them, I want to know. If you feel like I do about these little nutritious gems, share how you cook them as well.

OMG, I LOVE Brussels Sprouts! Any way they're prepared, I'll eat them. I usually steam them, but I really LOVE the roasted ones. My husband only eats them roasted, so I make them that way a lot. Texture-wise, I prefer the fresh Brussels Sprouts over the frozen ones, so I only really eat them when I get them at the farmers' market.

I loved them as a child. My mom only cooked frozen ones back them and she put butter of them. She put butter on everything. :-)As an adult I kept eating them usually the frozen ones but I didn't need butter. Then I was watching Martha Stewart and she was roasted brussel sprouts.I started roasting my fresh brussel sprouts and I love them even more now. Cannot get enough.

I loved them as a child. My mom only cooked frozen ones back them and she put butter of them. She put butter on everything. :-)
As an adult I kept eating them usually the frozen ones but I didn't need butter. Then I was watching Martha Stewart and she was roasted brussel sprouts.
I started roasting my fresh brussel sprouts and I love them even more now. Cannot get enough.

Not too healthy, but they're delicious when you sautee them in butter or bacon grease. But really, most things would probably be good if you cooked them in bacon grease.If I'm feeling guilty that day though, I use olive oil and a little red wine vinegar.

Not too healthy, but they're delicious when you sautee them in butter or bacon grease. But really, most things would probably be good if you cooked them in bacon grease.
If I'm feeling guilty that day though, I use olive oil and a little red wine vinegar.

Love them! They were part of my NYE resolutions last year to add new veggies... Last year I added brussel sprouts, beets and asparagues, and love them all. I got a great recipe at my grocery store for the sprouts and make it usually 2x week.
cut the sprouts in half, slice some red onion, put in a bag and shake with with some olive oil, pepper and sea salt, then roast in the oven (25 min at 400), in the last 10 min, saute some thinly sliced shallots in a T of olive oil, after they turn brown and crisp, add 2T of balsamic vinegar, and reduce, at the last minute toss in 1-2T of fresh chopped rosemary sprigs. Pour over the sprouts... soooooo yummy!!! It's all carmelized and fragrant and delicious.
My mother is shocked I eat them so much, since I didn't eat any veggies until I was about 30. lol

Love them! They were part of my NYE resolutions last year to add new veggies... Last year I added brussel sprouts, beets and asparagues, and love them all. I got a great recipe at my grocery store for the sprouts and make it usually 2x week. cut the sprouts in half, slice some red onion, put in a bag and shake with with some olive oil, pepper and sea salt, then roast in the oven (25 min at 400), in the last 10 min, saute some thinly sliced shallots in a T of olive oil, after they turn brown and crisp, add 2T of balsamic vinegar, and reduce, at the last minute toss in 1-2T of fresh chopped rosemary sprigs. Pour over the sprouts... soooooo yummy!!! It's all carmelized and fragrant and delicious.My mother is shocked I eat them so much, since I didn't eat any veggies until I was about 30. lol

We LOVE LOVE LOVE brussels sprouts! We most commonly will slice them somewhat thinly (like 4-5 slices per a normal size spout) and then saute them in olive oil, garlic and sea salt in the skillet until just tender. OMGosh...they are sooooooo yummy! Right now, they have been so sweet and nutty tasting. Even our 4 year old has taken to eating 3-4 bites on his own lately (wooohooo!!!).When we feel like getting REALLY *fancy* (and not worrying about "health" well cook them up with diced bacon and garlic. Actually, we've found the bacon version a good way to get brussels sprout "haters" to try them and like them - I mean, everything tastes better with bacon. ;)The roasted and drizzled with basalmic vinegar, that sounds sooooo good! I think we'll have to try that soon.

We LOVE LOVE LOVE brussels sprouts! We most commonly will slice them somewhat thinly (like 4-5 slices per a normal size spout) and then saute them in olive oil, garlic and sea salt in the skillet until just tender. OMGosh...they are sooooooo yummy! Right now, they have been so sweet and nutty tasting. Even our 4 year old has taken to eating 3-4 bites on his own lately (wooohooo!!!).
When we feel like getting REALLY *fancy* (and not worrying about "health" well cook them up with diced bacon and garlic. Actually, we've found the bacon version a good way to get brussels sprout "haters" to try them and like them - I mean, everything tastes better with bacon. ;)
The roasted and drizzled with basalmic vinegar, that sounds sooooo good! I think we'll have to try that soon.

I just had these for the first time at thanksgiving this year (im a vegetarian so i filled up on all the side dishes cuz i dont eat turkey) and they were awesome!!! i donno how my bf's mom made them but they were buttery and just so good! to think i still thought of them as little green brains... i think ill pick some up at the grocery store this wweek now that u told us how to cook em! :)